Scars of Scales
by swirlytale
Summary: The Battle of Sekigahara is over, and the land is finally united under one ruler. As life begins to take a leisurely pace, The One-Eyed Dragon sends an uncommon request to the Madararui of Kai.
1. Prologue

It was two months ago when an outrageous sum of coin was sent to Shingen. Yukimura remembers the stern look on the Tiger's face, but even more so how utterly rigid it turned when the sender turned out to be The One-Eyed Dragon. Sasuke had meticulously gone through the carefully prepared package, his face solemn once the last coin was counted. There was a long pause throughout the audience chamber, but the Young Cub had felt it was more appropriate to wait until Sasuke expressed his concern. Finally, the ninja spoke, "It's a breeding request. He's even cocky enough to send the amount for a female." Shingen initially stayed silent, but eventually a long string of hot air came from his flaring nostrils. Instantly, Yukimura found himself puzzled by the situation.

He wasn't a complete stranger to the concept of a breeding request. The women of Kai had once been desired because of their tenacity, but in recent years the scales had tipped to favor fertility over personality. Even though children with the tiger women of Kai were by no means difficult, noblemen simply wanted heirs faster. They turned to the provinces mainly inhabited by dogs such as Mikawa and Omi - sometimes even going as far as Tosa. Consequently, offers became few and far between. However, there was another side to the situation he didn't understand.

The Battle of Sekigahara had left countless of bodies to rot on the battlefield, but with its passing came a time of peace. The country was no longer in a power struggle for unification, so its people quickly moved to rebuild what had been destroyed over years of constant conflict. Unfortunately, Kai had found itself slowly sinking into poverty. Yukimura himself had not been aware the treasury was barren, and it had been quite a shock once he found out. While it was a far stretch to say the breeding request would fix the province's current monetary trouble, it would at least keep them afloat a bit longer. So in knowing those two things, why did it seem Shingen and Sasuke were unsupportive of The One-Eyed Dragon's proposition?

The cub knew he didn't have the right mentality to think of things outside of battle; however, he truly felt he was looking after the people of Kai's well-being when he spoke up. "Forgive me, but I don't understand," he had begun carefully, "this offering would immensely help our people, so why are you two hesitating? Surely any woman of Kai with a heart would-"

"This money is not meant for a woman of Kai." Sasuke curtly replied.

"Then-" the ninja gave him a look sharp enough to jolt his entire spine "then why would Masamune send us a breeding request if he does not wish to have a woman of Kai bear an heir!?"

"FOOL!" Shingen's mighty voice boomed throughout the Takeda estate, which had caused Yukimura to instinctively flinch. Although the Tiger of Kai was still recovering from a crippling disease, Yukimura knew better than to underestimate his mentor. Throughout his whole life he had been tussled and banged around by the Takeda Can leader, so his hands moving to shield his face while his body braced for a familiar set of powerful knuckles was a reflex built over years of bruises and broken limbs. Surprisingly, there was no sensation of flying through the fusama or impact against the courtyard wall that told him he had been struck. When Yukimura opened a cautious eye, he was merely met with a gruff expression from the aging warlord. Shingen had turned his attention back to the stockpile of money, and the cub was surprised to see an emotion in his eyes that could only be described as solemn. However, what was even more shocking came next, "Madararui are not strictly limited to breeding with females. This request is obviously for you, Yukimura."

It took a while for the words to sink in, but once they did Yukimura had became perplexed beyond belief. The money was for him? Masamune Date, the unruly warlord of Oshu, was asking for a **man** to carry his heir? Surely that wasn't possible, "If- if this is some kind of joke," he heard his own voice quiver, "it is _not_ funny." But there wasn't an outburst of laughter from either of the two men - no action to indeed prove this was some juvenile prank. Shingen continued to uncharacteristically eye the offering while Sasuke seemed unable to find the right state of mind to approach it. After some careful deliberation, the ninja said, "You were saying a woman of Kai with a heart for her people would accept this offer, correct?"

"But I am no woman of Kai!" Yukimura yelled frantically, "I'm a man who burns brightest on the battlefield!"

"Masamune obviously doesn't see you as such." Sasuke sighed as two fingers went to one of his temples. They rubbed the tender patch of skin in small circular motions, "You obviously understand the state of affairs we're in, but we won't force you to do something so intimate against your will."

A certain kind of numbness had taken a hold of Yukimura then. It was true; Sasuke and Shingen weren't forcing him accept Masamune's offer. In fact, they seemed rather against it. However, his only desire was to help the Takeda clan and the land of Kai as much as he possibly could. Perhaps if he were born a woman- no, he shouldn't be thinking such things. Softly, Yukimura spoke, "No, I'll do it." It was a hard decision to swallow, but the thought of being able to stave off hunger and sickness from the people of Kai made it considerably easier. If he didn't accept the request, his conscience wouldn't forget it so easily.

* * *

Author's Note:  
This is my first time at uploading something on the site, so I'm trying to work out the kinks on formatting. Sorry if it isn't quite pleasing to read, I tried getting it to look as presentable as possible with what was given to me. Plus, I understand my writing style might not make an interesting read to some. Scars of Scales is my rough attempt to meld Love Pistols' concept of ancestry animals into the Sengoku Basara franchise. Initially, this was a prompt on the Basara kink meme, but Fate dictates the ones I find the most interesting never get filled. Ah, well. I don't plan on making this specific fic very long, but I do want to expand to other Basara ships eventually.


	2. Chapter 1

The road to Oshu feels particularly longer than usual; however, Yukimura doesn't mind it. Truthfully, he wishes for the road to never end, but most of the distance to Masamune's estate has already been covered by the time he realizes this desire. His horse seems to acknowledge his growing anxiety and becomes equally excited with each passing mile. Yukimura figures a good run would quickly calm him down, but he doesn't want to make the remaining journey shorter. _Kojuro can take care of the problem_, he concludes, but not without a bit of guilt. He's heard rumors about The Dragon's Right Eye having a way with horses, and Yukimura has a sneaking suspicion he's the reason why Masamune is able to have the horse he does. It must have been a chore to train the dark colored stallion, but even more so to get him to wear those odd metal contraptions…

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke decided to accompany him, but the ninja has chosen to travel through the shadows of the forest rather than by his side. Yukimura normally doesn't mind such a decision, but this time he feels oddly alone. The cub tries to justify his escort's action though; they've been more visible lately, but that's only if he squints hard enough – Sasuke's feathers that is. The brunette is normally diligent about hiding his soul's appearance, so seeing his concentration waver tells Yukimura just how greatly the breeding request bothers him. However, Sasuke is the type of man who never pushes his burdens onto someone else. His heritage, coincidentally, happens to be something he'd rather not indulge, which disappoints the cub since he finds bird type Madararui intriguing. _It's nice seeing them though_, Yukimura thinks to himself. The various shades of light and dark brown on the feathers remind him of wood. Along with those, the occasional specks of grey, tan, and white bring images of stone. Both materials are sturdy and supportive, and Yukimura smiles because those two words describe the ninja well.

When they finally reach the gates of Masamune's estate, there's a whirlwind in Yukimura's stomach. He quietly admits he's nervous, but places the blame of the fact he hadn't thought to come in formal attire. The idea of bringing a gift didn't cross his mind either, although surely someone would find it understandable since he was more focused on merely _surviving_ this ridiculous predicament, right? Of course, Sasuke is quick to state the cub is showing disrespect, which ultimately proves that even if he doesn't necessarily approve of Yukimura's decision, he expects him to at least do it right. Instantly, this causes Yukimura to feel ashamed of his selfishness. After all, he only accepted the request because he wanted to help Kai recover from war. Their lives valued more than his, so who was he to have second thoughts about a decision that guaranteed them a better state of living? Unfortunately, The Lord of Oshu is waiting for him in the courtyard, the labor of his afternoon training evident by the beads of sweat on his brow. Electricity begins to flow through the tiger cub's veins as he mentally prepares an honorable greeting, but Masamune is laughing, "It would have been a _riot_ if you came here so serious about getting _laid_!" befoe he can utter a single syllable. Sasuke tries to defuse the situation by explaining the dragon is referring to the lack of a wedding procession, but by then Yukimura is too embarrassed and angry to hear him. The urge to flee is prominent in the cub's mind, and it takes Sasuke a lot of time to reassure him the teasing won't last for long. However, Yukimura wonders just how much his wounded pride can take before it stops.

Kojuro is the one who handles the negotiations which isn't surprising since Masamune is known to have an impolite tongue. It's amusing though, because, when Yukimura thinks about it, Oshu's lord is merely an overgrown snake, and snake Madararui are infamous for their silver tongue among other things. Of course, Masamune is present when they discuss his health and family lineage, but Yukimura feels the other's single eye fixated on him. It's a chilling stare, and he fidgets with his fingers in an effort to shake the feeling off. It doesn't work though, and Yukimura wonders if this is a standard when it comes to breeding requests. Were the women (and men) before him ogled at as if they were objects? And did they feel the same frustration as he does now? The questions start to pile up in the cub's head, and when Kojuro asks him a question he barely has time to recover, "I'm seventeen, sir." He keeps formality for the sake of the situation, but omits their past comraderie for the same reason. Oddly, his response seems to throw the two men of Oshu off in different ways.

"Forgive me; your appearance makes you seem older." Kojuro apologizes with a face that seems genuinely surprised despite its past stoic presence. Yukimura expects some kind of heated comment from the other, but it never comes. Tentatively, he looks up in search for that single brown eye but immediately regrets that decision when he's instead met with a sneer that appears so demonic it causes him to visibly flinch.

"Lord Shingen demands Yukimura's return once the breeding period is done, and for you to tend to his health while he is in your custody." Sasuke steers the conversation back on track, and in doing so catches the dragon's attention. The tiger cub takes the opportunity to return staring at his fingers, but now they twitch from sheer terror. He's never seen such a face from Masamune, not even when the Demon King threatened to carve out his remaining eye with his sword mere millimeters from piercing its core.

"Of course, we will respect The Tiger of Kai's wishes." Kojuro calmly accepts all of Shingen's demands. After all, it was faster to agree with someone than complicate matters by disagreeing and then forming some kind of compromise. Unsurprisingly, Yukimura feels relieved he can get this over with quickly, but at the same time feels nervous of the things to come. Before long, the negotiations are over; however, The Dragon's Right Eye brings up another important issue, "Tell me, Sanada, have you made the proper preparations for this?" Instantly, the cub feels his face heat up.

"I- I've been explained the… preparations… but-" He can't speak properly; there's a lump in his throat. Then, Masamune's face flashes before his eyes. That cruel smirk slowly seeps into his bloodstream, chills his core, cuts off his lungs, and terrorizes his nerves. Suddenly, he can't move at all.

"We thought it was best for him to be prepared here. We would have wasted considerably valuable time if it was done in Kai." Sasuke's punctuality amazes Yukimura, it's almost as if he anticipated the cub's reaction.

Kojuro simply nods, and the meeting is finally done. Masamune quietly slinks away in a manner that tells Yukimura the dragon has lost his interest and relaxes a bit. He apologizes for his insolence at not being able to answer the man's earlier question, but Kojuro pays no mind to it. Instead, he's understanding and orders the servants to start a warm bath. A meal is also mentioned, eliciting a slight rumble from the young tiger's belly. He's glad for the first time since arriving in Oshu. A meal meant breeding preparations weren't going to start today. At least, for a night, he could rest and gather his thoughts.

Sadly, Sasuke's job as an escort is done. Once Yukimura is shown to the room he'll be staying in, the ninja is just about ready to leave. Of course, the younger of the two doesn't want to part ways just yet. He'll be alone in the estate when the ninja is gone, after all. There'd be no one he could go to for support. Well, he still had his horse, but Yukimura wanted someone he could converse with by his side for the whole stay. It's understandable, but impossible. However, Sasuke promises to visit whenever the opportunity arrives. "Be strong, Danna. Please, endure this to the best of your ability."

"I'm holding you to that promise, Sasuke." Yukimura says in a small voice, he can't help but feel a bit disheartened. Then, the ninja is gone within the blink of an eye, but before he can contemplate his isolation, a servant ushers him to the bath.

The water is slightly warmer than the temperature he's used to, but he somewhat welcomes the tolerable burn around his skin. A lemony scent lingers in the air, telling him the wood made to build the bath is from a hinoki cypress. He was too busy fretting over the negotiations to notice much of the estate. He'd have to wander about it sometime to get a better sense of where everything was – if he ever decides to step outside his room at all during his stay. For now, he just wanted to soak in the relaxing mix of warm water and the smell of lemon.

Eventually, his thoughts wander back to Kai. Was Shingen already using the breeding money to repair houses, bridges, and dams? It was probably too soon, but the old tiger was impatient to heal the wounds inflicted upon his land. The servants were probably holding him back, telling him he was still weak from his illness. Yukimura smiled a bit at the thought. Everyone in Kai was always looking out for each other. _But… am I? _His smile was suddenly replaced with a frown. He had told himself he was doing this for his lord. He wanted to help the people too, after all. However, this whole time he had only been thinking of himself. He tried picturing what it would be like if he hadn't accepted Masamune's offer, but the only image he could see was a sick farmer with his frail wife and starving children. He wasn't thinking about their lives when he saw The One-Eyed Dragon's depraved face. When that stare turned his body to ice, he only thought about his wellbeing. Yukimura unceremoniously dunks his head under the water and covers it with his hands. Once again, the cub feels ashamed of himself, but, this time, it is because of his cowardice.

* * *

Author's Note:  
I'll admit I didn't expect to get reviews, much less all of them being positive. Thank you, everyone! Not much goes on in this chapter since we're just setting up the premise of this fanfic. I promise the next one will have more substance though. We get into Yukimura and Masamune's dynamics with each other in that. I know there's a bit of inconsistency with the color of Masamune's eye (blue/gray in the anime, brown in the games) but I figured I could chalk that up to the dragon ancestry in him. At first, I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out what animal Kojuro would be. I initially went with wolf, but then I thought he would be better as an Asian Black Bear. Some people might be a little upset over that, but it's not like we're going to see any bear-like tendencies from him anyway. There's something cute about picturing a giant bear tenderly looking after plants though. Sasuke is a Lanner Falcon, not much of a surprise there.

I rushed the end of the chapter a bit :I


	3. Chapter 2

Night approaches before the tiger cub knows it, but, sadly, sleep does not make its presence. Instead, he is wide awake with a belly that aches and protests to any kind of movement. Such a large quantity of food wasn't anticipated after his bath, although not a single dish stood out to make the ordeal ceremonious rather than unnecessarily extravagant. He still praised his attendants for their hard work though, so much so that they were embarrassed by his overly profound appreciation.

A variety of meat dishes had been prepared ranging from sashimi to stewed beef. As someone who was mostly raised on vegetables, Yukimura couldn't help but try a few oddities such as pheasant and wild boar and was pleasantly surprised to find some of their textures and tastes were similar to things he had eaten in the past. The vegetables were just as overwhelming: sweet potatoes had been steamed or turned into tempura; burdock had been fried with chilies and left to simmer in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin; and the pickled turnips on the table had the right amount of sweetness to complement the sour brine they had been soaking in. Of course, none of that was complete without an overly generous helping of rice. Everything had the cub in a state of awe, even the vibrant hues of red and orange painted on the plates and dishes. If The One-Eyed Dragon ate such a volume of meals every day, his figure was nothing short of a miracle.

Looking back on it now though, it definitely wasn't a good idea to have eaten _everything _in front of him. A second seat had been at the table with another set of plates and dishes, and it wasn't much of a stretch to assume his dining companion was supposed to be Masamune. However, his absence brought more relief than a sense of unnerving tension. Yukimura couldn't imagine trying to eat with the dragon right there, watching him, especially if _that_ face had made its reappearance. Still, the young tiger had to wonder why he had not been present. Perhaps earlier he had done something to offend Oshu's lord? Or maybe something important come up that had to be tended to? He would have asked someone if he felt he was in a position to.

A futon had been prepared for him by the time he returned from eating, but it went ignored in favor of a wax candle that served as the only source of lighting in the room. It flickered on occasion, but the flame it produced was impressive despite its size. He took to watching it dance for some time; its warmth slowly comforting the lingering distress he tried to forget. Unintentionally, one of his hands goes to stroke his abdomen, although he somehow momentarily forgets there's food packed inside his stomach and quickly freezes up when his fingertips rub against its bulging girth. Apprehension buzzes through his nerves, but a deep breath and quick check is good enough to relieve the jitters. At least for now.

Now that Yukimura thinks of it, he's never had an opportunity to know the dragon outside of battle. They had always met in combat, and any instances outside of that were brief or short lived. He knows Masamune isn't coldhearted, but some of his actions in the past seemed rather selfish or one sided in thought. And while rather cocky and very much abrasive, there were moments he showed genuine concern for others - particularly towards the men in his army. He also didn't like involving unnecessary parties in his affairs as he'd rather settle conflicts by his self. In a way, it seemed as if the dragon was trying to balance being solitary while keeping his allies within arm's reach. It was like a child growing to be independent, and occasionally they'd glance over their shoulder and finding comfort in their parent's shadow.

There had to be more to the warrior in blue than he has seen. After all, the tiger cub vividly remembers the way the entire Date army worried for their headstrong leader during the time he was recovering from a gunshot wound. And he could never forget hearing about them using their own battered bodies to shield Masamune from Hideyoshi Toyotomi when he was pinned down in absolute defeat. Such heartfelt and devoted actions would not have happened if their leader treated them poorly. _Yes_, Yukimura thinks, there is more to Masamune than he has experienced in the heart of battle. And it is just as he comes to this conclusion when his shoji door slides open.

"Yo."

Of course, it's Masamune, and in his hands are a black tokkuri and two small matching ochoko. There's no doubt that's sake in his hands, meaning the dragon wants to sit down and have a friendly drink. Personally, Yukimura is not very fond of sake, but the only option when a lord offers alcohol is to accept. It's as he's beginning to fully turn around when an unfamiliar scent suddenly catches his interest; it's faint, just barely detectable, although there was no mistaking its source. Then it just occurs to the young tiger that Masamune's hair and yukata are disheveled with a thin layer of fresh sweat coating his lightly tanned skin. It's suspicious, at least that's what the alarm in Yukimura's head is blaring. However, he knows better than to accuse a lord within his own house.

"I offer my sincerest apologies if I had done something to offend you."

"Offend me? Not a chance."

"Then… your absence-"

"Forget about it." Masamune quickly interjects while casually plopping down onto the floor. He's less than a foot away with no regard for the tiger's personal space, and the mysterious scent grows even more pungent with his invasion. Yukimura recognizes parts of the scent as Masamune's natural smell, but there are smidges of something else he can't quite pinpoint and name. It mildly peaks his curiousity, and, honestly, he doesn't find it unpleasant in the slightest. He's had many chances to familiarize himself with the dragon's scent though, so it was entirely possible he was just accustomed to the brunette's initial smell and wasn't fazed by whatever little additions were put into it.

The ochoko clinking together while being set down snap Yukimura out from his quiet reverie, and he merely watches as clear alcohol is poured into one of the small cups. Clearly, that one was meant for him. The center of the cups are painted with small maple leaves in a light mixture of yellow and brown, giving them a sharp contrast to the black ceramic the ochoko are initially made of. It is eye catching and unusually interesting but not enough to distract the tiger from hastily reaching out for the tokkuri as soon as Masamune stops pouring.

"You're nervous."

"Forgive me. I'm not familiar with the customs associated with my current status."

A long pause ensues, and it lingers pass the point where it becomes too awkward for comfort. Yukimura attempts to distract himself by beginning to pour sake into Masamune's cup, although he wonders just how he'll manage to survive the night with his dignity intact. On top of his recent string of blunders, he's never had a high tolerance for alcohol. Shingen and Sasuke were well aware of this, so it was normal for them to relax without the aid of alcohol; Masamune, on the other hand, had no way of knowing this. If Yukimura was going to try to avoid drinking himself into a stupor, he'd have to either move the other's attention fully away from the alcohol or talk throughout the whole night. Perhaps if he knew a better list of the dragon's interests, the second option would have been possible, but, as of now, neither of them was.

"And what would that be?"

Sake ceases to flow from the tokkuri in Yukimura's hands, and, when he looks up, he can't help but stare incredulously at his companion. Masamune's face, however, is stern with his lips in a tight line. He's serious.

"I'm your guest. And your…" the young tiger stumbled over trying to find an appropriate word, "concubine?" The One-Eyed Dragon doesn't make any indication that he's amused by the answer, but he reaches for his ochoko and takes a long draw from it. It's an uncomforting reaction to Yukimura, although he quickly moves to fill the ochoko back up as soon as it's set down. He can't help feeling he's missing something but tries to keep his demeanor calm and rational for both their sakes.

Masamune certainly didn't propose marriage, and the purpose of his stay wasn't a secret to anyone inhabiting the manors in Kai or Oshu. While it did benefit both the clans of Takeda and Date, the baby and breeding request were only a means to keep the bloodline going without having to create strong ties with others. In essence, Yukimura was important enough to be treated like any other lord's wife, but not enough to be seen as valuable in a marriage tie between clans, and their union was only temporary. After all, he'd just be forgotten and never bothered again once their child was born. Plus, should Masamune actually marry someone, those heirs would take precedence in regards to the succession of the clan.

"Tell me, Yukimura Sanada, would you have preferred it, if I courted you?"

The said brunette's face changes in color at the question, and he has to place the tokkuri down before it manages to slip through his fingers. While he certainly would have _preferred_ being courted than invasively asked to bear a child out of the blue, he doesn't think his reaction would have been any different. Seconds pass by as he continues to mull over the question, and all Masamune does it watch him expectantly with that bold single eye of his. It actually surprises the young tiger how patient he's being compared to his earlier behavior, and he can't help but find a bit of comfort in that. Slowly, Yukimura finds the courage to return the dragon's stare, and he nods his head.

"What you're asking of me is something very intimate, and there's still much I don't know about you even though we're rivals and have been comrades from time to time."

"HAH!" Masamune laughs, "So Kai's cub is a romantic at heart."

He takes his second drink, but merely sips from it. There's a radical change in the shine of his left eye, and his shoulders hunch up slightly. They sink right after though, almost as low as those seen on man who was met with bitter disappointment. "You didn't have to accept my offer. It's not like I would have started a war from being rejected." This has Yukimura contemplate whether he should tell the truth or make up an excuse as to why he accepted the breeding request, but, in the end, he couldn't stomach the idea of being deceitful—especially since Masamune is being very hospitable.

"I owe Kai more than my life for taking me in. I thought they could use the money to help better their state."

"You weren't born in Kai?"

Yukimura is taken back by Masamune's question, but that's when their relationship suddenly dawns on him. They didn't know anything about each other; at least, not on a personal level. Even if a breeding request seemed crude, there was no denying some level of trust had to be placed when making them. Masamune was most likely the last dragon madararui in all of Japan and having a lineage as strong as that would make his heirs admirable and prized by any number of people. He could have chosen someone else to take care of his future child, perhaps someone he knew better—trusted—but that wasn't the case. Masamune chose him: a person he didn't relatively know.

"No, Shinano is my homeland. When my family died, Lord Shingen took me in."

"You're _whole_ family?"

"…" Yukimura frowned, "I was told there was nothing to prove foul play, but that was the assumption of most people."

The young tiger vividly remembers his first days in Kai, like how he'd emotionally lash out at the servants and physically gave Sasuke and Shingen a hard time. However, most vividly were the nights he found himself curled under the covers of his futon, sobbing for his mother's warmth. The people of Kai knew he didn't choose to intentionally target them for his outlets, so they did their best to accommodate him at the time. Truly, from the bottom of his heart, he couldn't thank them enough for understanding his state of mourning during that time. "Not many were fond of my father, myself included. My mother and brother though… their deaths were painfully hard for me to accept." Yukimura's eyes falter down to his untouched ochoko. His interest in the clear liquid is surprisingly renewed, and he takes to nestling it in his palms. The liquid invitingly swirls from his motions, and he complies with it. In one quick motion, he swallows all of it, although the bitter taste and slow burn of his throat has him solidify another shot was out of his agenda. There's a strange kind of comfort in the mixture of the two though, and he feels accomplished from that sole drink. However, he doesn't bask in that glow for very long.

It suddenly creeps up on him, but its hold is tight. A strong sense of tension seizes the young tiger's senses, and it practically pulses out from his drinking companion like the pain of an open wound. Masamune has turned rigid, his eye staring hard and cold to his blindside with a gaze that says his mind is somewhere faraway. His hands are intensely balled into fists, blunt nails digging into the tender and quivering flesh of his palms. Yukimura has personally never seen the dragon so tense and uncomfortable, and he doesn't exactly know what could have triggered such a reaction. For a moment, he's speechless, yet his mouth gapes like a fish gasping for breath. An apology is automatically on the very tip of his tongue even though his mind is completely blank, "Lord Masamune-"

"You must have loved them dearly."

"Of course! Everyone loves their family."

The haste of his remark is another automatical response, yet it causes the dragon to subtly flinch. He's managed to somehow hit a sore spot—one not many probably knew even existed. The lord of Oshu doesn't reply with anything, but the way he begins to avoid eye contact is evidence enough. It is obvious something he had said caused Masamune to become deeply pained, so Yukimura relaxes his muscles and tells himself to ease up—even though he feels their sudden situation is a bit unfair. The young tiger has to tell himself they're in different mind sets though; while he's accepted his family's death, it seems Masamune hasn't been able to make peace with whatever it is that is upsetting him. It wasn't the right time nor was it appropriate to coax out such personal matters though, "Lord Masamune, you don-"

It shocks him how loud the dragon is when he shoots up, but that's thanks to the rattle and clang of the tokkuri and ochoko. Masamune is practically a rocket when he stands and is at the shoji within the blink of an eye. Of course, Yukimura gets up to chase after him, but it's not because he wants to apologize for what feels like greatly disrespecting his host. He didn't have a chance to finish his words, and the consequences of that were already taking place in front of him, "LORD MASAMUNE!" He might as well have woken up the whole estate with that yell, but the young tiger decides to worry about that later. After all, Masamune is really the only person in Oshu he doesn't want a misunderstanding with.

The brunette comes to a halt in the corridor, although he refuses to turn around to acknowledge he's listening. It's a chance nonetheless, so Yukimura takes it, "If you do not wish to speak of such personal matters, it is alright. I understand." He tries to sound comforting without placing too much weight behind his voice. The dragon's level of discomfort was already at its limit, he didn't want to push it any further. However, his own ears aren't so convinced. To him, it sounds pitiful, like how one would talk to a wounded animal, "However, I am willing to lend an ear should you ever desire to discuss it."

"Like I'd ever talk about that _shit_!"

The venom that lashed out more or less struck the tiger in the chest. By now, a handful of servants had flooded into the hallway due to the commotion, and Masamune makes his exit in the midst of the confusion while brushing off a few alerted guards. A sudden wave of fear rushes over Yukimura since he's performed the heinous act of insulting a lord within his own house, but a servant from earlier comforts his nerves. She makes her reappearance voicing all manners of concern for his being, and, honestly, he's rather baffled that she's not throwing accusations instead. She catches on to his own confusion though, briefly explaining that Masamune had a tendency to make all sorts of ruckuses in the nightly hours. As such, the servants had slowly taught themselves to not pay much mind to his activities unless he called for them. The tiger doesn't know if that's a sign of confidence, but he can't help thinking such ignorance would someday bode ill on them.

The servants are gone as quick as they came, yet the one by his side asks again if he's alright. Yukimura then suddenly remembers the small mess that had transpired in his room, and shows her the broken tokkuri and ochoko along with a damp spot where the spilled sake had seeped into the tatami. As she's gathering up the cracked pieces of ceramic, Yukimura stands there quietly. His own ochoko rests upon the tatami, completely intact.

* * *

Author's Note:  
Muahaha, now you all know this is just a fic to let loose all my headcanons! No, not really. Capcom has never told us anything about Masayuki Sanada (Yukimura's dad) but I think it's generally accepted his real life counterpart wasn't very trustworthy and only really cared about his clan's survival despite being hailed as a tactical genius. I- don't really know; I'm really taking liberties when mentioning a character's childhood. The one thing Capcom told us about Yukimura's past was that he was an orphan before Shingen took him in, and that piece of info is easy to miss since it's only mentioned in a drama CD.

I always feel I should include as much background information I can in every chapter, but if I did that this section would probably be longer than the chapter itself! I'll try to keep them as short as I can though. For those that haven't played SB3 (Samurai Heroes), Yukimura orders Sasuke to prepare an offering in one of his routes, but is informed the treasury is empty shortly after. Obviously, this is where I got the idea Kai would be dirt poor after Sekigahara. For Yukimura's age being 17, it was pulled off the Japanese wiki. It's even mentioned on Tvtropes, and (say what you want but) I trust the credibility of that site with my life. I have no idea of the time lengths between each game though, so I would _assume _he's actually a year or two older after SB3. As for Kojuro being a good horse tamer, Masamune gloats about it when you near the stables at the beginning of his stage.

Thank you for the awesome reviews! I might not have many, but I appreciate every single one of them. To be honest, I wasn't very confident about publishing this at first. I have trouble embracing some of the things to come, but that's only because Love/Sex Pistols has some pretty wacky wtf explanations for same sex reproduction. As much as I want to pour my heart into this fic, I can't help but feel that will drag me down a bit. Hopefully, you readers will bear with me once we hit those bumps. Thanks, again, for reading this fanfic!


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